Granit Xhaka faces five years in prison after admitting to faking Covid vaccine certificate

News

FT Desk

Granit Xhaka has confessed to faking a COVID vaccine certificate in 2022.

Over the weekend, Blick reported that the Switzerland midfielder was under investigation by the Lucerne public prosecutor’s office over his alleged links to a doctor accused of issuing fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination certificates.

In Xhaka’s case, authorities were said to be examining claims that he obtained a falsified certificate which stated he had been vaccinated against COVID-19, despite allegedly not receiving the vaccine.

A spokesperson for the prosecutor's office confirmed the investigation: "The aim is to clarify whether there has been any criminally relevant conduct in connection with the possible fraudulent procurement of a false certification and/or forgery."

Instead of the enquiry dragging on, the player himself has quickly confessed to the fabrication in a new post on Instagram, citing a mistrust of the vaccine as to why he did not consent to receiving it four years ago.

"In recent days, there has been a lot of reporting about an issue from my past," he wrote.

"I would like to address this personally.

"In connection with the COVID-19 vaccination, I was personally very uncertain at the time and had serious concerns. I had a deep mistrust of the vaccine and was affected by fears and uncertainty.

"In this emotionally difficult state, I obtained a vaccination certificate instead of resolving my unanswered questions through the proper channels.

"Today, I clearly see that this was not the right course of action. It was a mistake. I am sorry.

"I take responsibility for this decision, will face the process of clarifying the facts, and will cooperate fully with the relevant authorities."

He has now withdrawn from the Switzerland squad for the upcoming international break.

Though the faked documents were obtained in Switzerland, Xhaka was an Arsenal player when he claimed he got the vaccine.

Foot Mercato reports that the Lucerne authorities are within their rights to push for a five-year prison sentence for Xhaka.

Xhaka isn't the only one

The investigation centres on a doctor who was reportedly raided by police in 2023, when evidence was taken from the practice. Xhaka is understood to be one of several alleged clients being investigated over vaccination certificates that prosecutors believe may have been falsified.

The allegations come after another controversy involving one of Xhaka’s Switzerland teammates. Breel Embolo was connected to a separate investigation in 2024 involving a Hells Angels member accused of producing counterfeit COVID-19 test documents

The individual was also alleged to have created two travel certificates containing Embolo’s personal information.

Similar issues emerged in German football in 2021. Markus Anfang, who was managing Werder Bremen at the time, was investigated after allegations that he had used a fake vaccination certificate. He eventually left his position and admitted the offence. The DFB then suspended him for 12 months and imposed a €20,000 fine, while a Bremen court issued an additional €36,000 financial penalty.